Asim Munir: Pakistan's 'Mullah General' spells trouble for India

Time of India

04-05-2025

Pakistani army chief General
Asim Munir
brings back the flavour of the
Gen Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
who seized power in a military coup in 1977, ousting then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and imposing martial law. General Zia implemented a program of Islamization, introducing religious laws and policies into Pakistani society as well as Islamising the Pakistani military primarily to bolster his regime's legitimacy and control. Though General Munir is nowhere near General Zia yet in this respect, his tendencies put him in the same league. For his religious inclinations which color his strategic view, some call him a "
mullah general
".
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General Munir's thinking about India became clear in a recent speech he made just before the
Pahalgam terror attack
.
What General Asim Munir's provocative speech tells
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Pakistan
's army chief General Asim Munir's recent dog-whistle - wherein he termed Kashmir as Pakistan's "jugular vein" - is being seen as among the possible triggers for Lashkar-e-Taiba's terror attack in Pahalgam coinciding with the visit of US vice president JD Vance, sources have told TOI. Many intelligence officers think there were indicators that Munir's provocative address, in which he also focused on the differential treatment of Muslims and Hindus, may have emboldened The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, which has claimed responsibility for the attack but later retracted, to plan a "spectacular strike".
About two weeks ago, standing before a packed hall at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, General Munir said, 'Our stance is very clear,' he said. 'It was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, and we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle.'
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'You have to tell Pakistan's story to your children so that they don't forget that our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life,' he further said. 'Our religions are different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different. That was the foundation of the two-nation theory that was laid there. We are two nations, we are not one nation.'
Munir's invocation of the two-nation theory — the ideological backbone of Pakistan's founding under Muhammad Ali Jinnah — marks a deliberate return to an era of sharply polarised narratives. "No matter where you live, remember—your roots lie in a high civilisation, noble ideology, and proud identity,' the General told the audience.
The speech clearly showed General Munir's deep belief in Islamist ideology which pervades his worldview. His rhetoric was not just about territorial claims; it was a declaration of intent, positioning Pakistan's military as the guardian of an Islamic state that sees itself as superior to its Hindu neighbor. This framing aligns with Pakistan's longstanding narrative of being the "fortress of Islam," a narrative that Munir has embraced and amplified.
His statements have been interpreted as a call to arms, emphasizing that any threat to Kashmir is tantamount to an existential threat to Pakistan.
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Asim Munir, a General as well as a Hafiz-e-Quran
Raised in a family with deep Islamic roots, he memorized the Quran during his posting in Saudi Arabia. This religious foundation, combined with his Islamist ideology, has led to his nickname, the "Mullah General". Critics argue that his religious conservatism influences his approach to governance and military strategy, potentially sidelining secular perspectives in favor of Jihdaist idoelogy. During a 2023 address to a grand jirga in Peshawar, Munir declared that the Pakistan Army's motto is "imaan, taqwa aur jihad fi Sabeelillah" (faith, piety, and jihad in the path of Allah), positioning the military as an institution dedicated to religious warfare.
Raised in a family with deep Islamic roots, Munir studied initially at the Markazi Madrasah Dar-ul-Tajweed, an Islamic seminary in Rawalpindi. He then graduated from the Officers Training School at Mangla. Commissioned in 1986, Munir's early career saw him in various command and staff positions, including postings in Saudi Arabia and the Siachen Glacier. While posted as a military attaché in Saudi Arabia, Munir had memorised the Holy Quran, which earned him the title of Hafiz-e-Quran. He went on to become Director-General of Military Intelligence in 2016 and subsequently as Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in 2018.
However, his tenure at the ISI was short-lived. In 2019, Munir was removed from his position, allegedly due to his confrontation with then-Prime Minister Imran Khan over corruption involving Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later confirmed that Munir had presented evidence of corruption, leading to Khan's decision to dismiss him.
Despite this setback, Munir's fortunes changed with the retirement of General Qamar Javed Bajwa in 2022. His appointment as Army Chief was seen as a strategic move by the political establishment to ensure continuity within the military. In November 2024, the Pakistani parliament extended the tenure of military chiefs to five years, effectively securing Munir's position until 2027.
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General Munir spells trouble for India
In General Munir, India faces another fanatic general committed to waging a "war by thousand cuts" against India. His religious ideology significantly influences his strategic approach, particularly concerning India. His framing of Kashmir as a religious duty rather than a territorial dispute transforms military objectives into religious imperatives. This perspective not only justifies aggressive postures but also seeks to legitimize them through religious sanction.
By invoking the concept of jihad, Munir aligns Pakistan's military objectives with religious mandates, thereby seeking to rally both domestic and international support from the Muslim world. This Islamization of military doctrine has implications beyond rhetoric. It suggests a strategic orientation where religious considerations guide military decisions, potentially leading to policies that prioritize ideological goals over pragmatic considerations. Such an approach will escalate tensions with India.
As Pakistan's military doctrine becomes increasingly intertwined with religious ideology, India will have to remain vigilant, recognizing that actions perceived as religious imperatives may lead to unpredictable and escalatory behaviors. Understanding the ideological motivations behind Pakistan's military strategies is crucial for India in formulating effective diplomatic and security responses.